1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automated parking assistant systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the prior art, there have been some attempts at automatic control of vehicle motion. For example, one of the present inventors obtained U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,303 to Trovato et al. (which is hereby incorporated by reference as background material) disclosing a method and apparatus for controlling maneuvers of a vehicle. In this patent, maneuvering of the vehicle is planned in the presence of obstacles using a three-dimensional configuration space. Axes of the configuration space correspond to X and Y coordinate locations of the rear differential (center of the axle) and angle of the vehicle.
In another patent in which one of the present inventors has obtained (U.S. Pat. No. 5,835,881 to Trovato et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference as background material) discloses a portable system for providing voice driving directions. A computer determines a route between an origin and a destination and using an electronic maps and GPS (Global Positioning System), compares the GPS position to the spatial position and provides spoken directions for the driver at the appropriate time period.
In yet another patent, (U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,879 to Trovato et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference as background material) a method and apparatus for smooth control of a vehicle includes providing direction arrows that point to subsequent direction arrows on the same fiber are concatenated so that any error is smoothed over a longer motion.
However, in all of the above, as well in all of the prior art, there has not been an attempt to providing automatic controls for parking a vehicle.
The present invention provides a system for automatic parking of a vehicle heretofore unknown in the prior art. The parking can be directed by voice commands, or there can be computer control of the steering and drive mechanisms.
A computer-based assisted parking system for parking a vehicle into a parking space may comprise:
at least one sensor arranged to sense at least one of: (1) a position of the vehicle to be parked; and (2) whether an obstacle is present in a predetermined area adjacent to the vehicle;
a sensing system for at least two-dimensional reconstruction of feedback received from said at least one sensor;
a path planning system for determining whether positions of other vehicles adjacent the parking space provide sufficient clearance for the vehicle to be parked and providing a planned path indicating how the vehicle to be parked will be maneuvered;
a control system for controlling maneuvering of the vehicle to be parked based on the planned path determined by said path planning system, said control system controls vehicle steering, direction (e.g. forward, reverse) speed, and application of brakes, so that the vehicle to be parked is maneuvered into the parking space.
The sensing system may generate X,Y and xcfx86 coordinates so that coordinates X1,Y1 and X2,Y2 are used to calculate the distance of the parking spot, and a series of steps to park the vehicle can either be generated for the coordinates when the driver is about to park, if the series of steps to park within a predetermined size range of a parking spot is not already in storage. Once the steps are in storage, these steps can be quickly recalled by the computer when a similarly sized spot is sensed for the particular vehicle in question. In fact, manufacturers of automobiles may preprogram different maneuvering steps for certain sized parking spots based on a car""s contour, and/or outer corner dimensions.
The control system may automatically park the vehicle after a driver of the vehicle to be parked affirms that said path planning system has indicated that there is sufficient clearance for parking the vehicle.
The system may include a switch in communication with at least one of the path planning system and the control system, so that the vehicle is parked automatically when the driver affirms receipt of the determination by the path planning system of sufficient clearance for parking the vehicle.
The control system may include an actuator for initiating parking of the vehicle. The actuator may be voice activated.
The path planning system may include a visual indicator to alert a driver of sufficient clearance for parking by the vehicle.
The path planning system may include an audio indicator to alert a driver of sufficient clearance for parking by the vehicle.
The control system may further include an emergency stop feature to suspend parking of a vehicle if an object is sensed in the path determined by the path planning system.
Alternative to the automatic steering and movement of the vehicle, the control system may provide sequential directions to the driver for maneuvering the vehicle into the parking spot.
The control system may provide the sequential directions by audio. The audio providing the directions may comprise a synthesized voice.
The directions provided by the control system may include reporting distance intervals between an end of the vehicle and a curb. In addition, the directions including reporting distance intervals between an end of the vehicle and another vehicle. The distance reporting may be preformed by a visual count-down bar (for example, on the front A post) showing a lighted bar that decreases in length. It may begin to shorten only when reaching a specific distance.
The audio providing the directions comprises a series of tones. The control system may also provide the sequential directions by visual indication.
The visual indication may comprises a plurality of lights, or directions on a display.
In an embodiment, the directions are displayed on one of the front windshield and rear window. It may also be displayed on an A-pillar.
The directions may be displayed on a rear view mirror, or include a display having means for hanging below the rear view mirror.
A method for assisted parking for a vehicle, comprises the steps of:
(a) sensing a position of a vehicle to be parked;
(b) determining whether there are additional objects in a predetermined area adjacent the vehicle;
(c) providing at least two-dimensional reconstruction of feedback of the position of the vehicle and the additional objects;
(d) determining whether positions of other vehicles adjacent the parking space provide sufficient clearance for the vehicle to be parked and providing a planned path indicating a path in which the vehicle to be parked will be maneuvered; and
(e) maneuvering the vehicle to be parked based on the planned path determined by said path planning system, said control system controls vehicle steering, direction, speed, and application of brakes, so that the vehicle to be parked is automatically maneuvered into the parking space.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method for computer-based assisted parking of a vehicle into a parking space comprises the steps of:
(a) sensing a position of the vehicle to be parked in a predetermined area adjacent the vehicle;
(b) providing at least two-dimensional reconstruction of feedback received from the sensed position of the vehicle;
(c) determining whether positions of other vehicles adjacent the parking space provide sufficient clearance for the vehicle to be parked and providing a planned path indicating the directions in which the vehicle to be parked is to be maneuvered; and
(d) providing a control system that includes one of at least audio or visual sequential instructions while the vehicle is being parked by the driver.
The sequential instructions may be provided in a summary prior to beginning the parking of the vehicle, and by one of visual and audio indications sequentially as the vehicle is being parked.
The sequential instructions include computer synthesized voice instructions, and the control system may update the sequential instructions to compensate for variations from the planned path while the vehicle is being parked.